A haven of peace at the gateway to the City of Oxford
Services at St Thomas the Martyr
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Wednesdays at 12.30pm (30 minutes) - Low Mass
Fridays at 12.30pm (30 minutes) - Low Mass
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During the University Term, there is a candlelit Mass at 5pm on Saturdays. This term’s Vigil Masses run until Saturday 9 March.
Visiting the Church
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The Churchyard is open every day all year round. There are graves of interesting local people, for example Fr Thomas Chamberain, sometime Vicar; Felicia Skene (Victorian prison reformer, philanthropist and author); and Olive Gibbs, former Lord Mayor of Oxford
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Regrettably the Church building is only open at times of worship, usually from 12noon - 1.15pm on Wednedays and Fridays.
Baptisms & Weddings
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Baptisms are possible for those who live in the local area: please contact the Vicar for further information
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St Thomas’s is a Chapel of Ease and as such is not licensed for weddings. Weddings for those who live in the parish or who have a qualifying connection would take place in St Barnabas Jericho, the main Parish Church.
St Thomas the Martyr Church in Oxford dates from 1190. It is one of the oldest Churches in Oxford
The Church is named after St Thomas Becket who was murdered whilst praying in Canterbury Cathedral on 29 December 1170.
Throughout its 830 year history, St Thomas’s has seen an array of colourful, controversial and captivating characters both as Vicars of the parish and as worshippers in the Church. Most notable amongst them is Robert Burton, author of The Anatomy of Melancholy who was Vicar from 1618 until his death in 1640. You can read more about the history of the Church by clicking here
Worship continues each week, and St Thomas’s now the Chapel-of-Ease of St Barnabas Jericho, which is the Parish Church a short walk away.
The future of this beautiful Church is uncertain. We urgently need to build a solid financial base to save the Church, beginning with a drive to raise £30,000 in 2022 to repair the roof.
Can you help save St Thomas the Martyr Church?
The Bells
You will often hear the beautiful ring of bells coming from the bell-tower at St Thomas the Martyr.
There is a short video to the right where you can hear a bell-ringing practice in February 2022
